SCRC Loudoun VA Featured Member - July, 2013

Name:   Karen Moore

Nickname:   Cookie

Marital Status:  Married for almost 14 years

Location:  Port Charlotte, FL

Hometown:  Kind of all over the place, but La Feria, Texas is where I spent my "formative" years.

Children:  Seven.....3 canine, 4 feline

Age:  Physically, 47. Mentally, 23

Occupation:  Currently unemployed. Three years as a police officer, followed by 5 years as a deputy sheriff at the Clarke County Sheriff's Office.

Current motorcycle(s):  Don't have one at the moment. We sold our bikes before we moved to Florida.

How did you hear about the SCRC and when did you join?
Carl was running a tow truck part-time back in August 2000. One day a bunch of bikes rolled into Plaza Texaco (now Shell) to get fuel. It is located right there at the corner of Plaza Street and Rt. 7 in Leesburg across from the Roy Roger’s where we meet for our rides. He started talking to them. Turns out one of them was Willi (the first first officer of the chapter, for those of you who don’t know him). He invited us to join. The rest, as they say, is history.

How long have you been riding?
Got my first bike February 2001.

Have you ever taken a motorcycle safety course?
Yes. Excellent class.

What was your first bike?
A 1999 Harley Davidson Dyna Convertible.

How many bikes have you owned?
Three. My starter bike (the Dyna), a 2002 HD Heritage Softail and a 2007 HD Heritage Softail that I bought brand new. Have 4 miles on it when I rode it off the lot.

Why do you ride?
For the relaxation and the wind on my face.

Have you ridden with an organized group before?
Just the SCRC.

What modifications have you done to your bike?
To my last bike....added chrome, a cup holder, and a stereo. It was perfect.

What accessories do you want to add to your bike?
None.

What is your dream bike?
I've owned two of them. My Heritage.

What kind of riding do you like to do — straight-aways or twisties?
A bit of both, although I'm not super comfortable on tight twisties. I prefer nice easy curves.

If you have a nickname, how did you get it? Tell the truth!
Well, I knew that if members didn’t have a nickname when they came in, they usually got one through an incident (often an embarrassing one) that happened in front of the group. So, I went ahead and nicknamed myself. The firefighters I know at Dulles used to call me The Cookie Lady, since I used to bake for them all the time. I shortened it to Cookie.

What is your favorite riding route?
Scenic back roads with as little traffic as possible.

Do you ride your bike to work?
I didn't because I didn't have a commute (take home car).

What is the fastest you’ve ridden?
85-90mph. Not by choice. To keep up with a group. But not comfortable at those speeds. And still vaguely irritated that the leader of the group didn't respect that I didn't like going that fast. I always thought part of group riding is that you go as fast as the slowest rider. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.

What is your favorite time of year to ride?
Spring and Fall. I am a total fair weather rider. Don't like ride when it's too cold (below 55) or too hot (over 90).

Have you ever been down? If so, how were you hurt and what did you learn from the incident?
Yeah. Once. Put my first bike under a guardrail the night I got it. They had to get a lift to raise the guardrail to get my bike out. I was lucky and walked away with some bruises and a dislocated thumb (couldn’t ride for 6 months because of that). I learned several things. They weren’t lying in the MSF course when they said "don’t use your front brake on gravel" and "look where you want to go". I came on that curve and saw the 15mph max safe speed sign and thought "I take this curve at 40 in my car". I was going too fast was headed into that guardrail, then hit gravel and jammed on that front brake. So, I guess I learned 4 things: Look where you want to go; don’t use front brake on gravel; when the signs says slow down, they aren’t kidding; never try to ride beyond your ability.

Have you ever done an "Iron Butt" ride?
Nope. No interest. Not that hardcore of a rider. I like to meander, stop when I see something of interest and meander some more.

If not, what is the furthest you’ve ridden?
Well, until 2012, Niagara Falls or Gatlinburg, TN (whichever is farther). But as of 2012, Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Actually, we stayed in Island Park, Idaho, which is 2100+ miles from where we lived in Berryville. Then we spent a week at Sturgis. The to and back home plus the riding around while we were there added up to a lot of miles!

What was the worst weather in which you’ve ridden?
Still have to say our trip to Niagara Falls. It rained from Berryville to Buffalo non-stop. Sigh.......

Do you know how to work on your bike?
No. I leave it to the experts.

What is your favorite road song?
Hard to pick one. I have a playlist on my iPod that has everything on it....country, alternative rock, hard rock, classic rock. I always enjoyed, though, when Slow Ride by Foghat started playing.

What was your most adventurous ride?
Definitely Sturgis. The three days at Yellowstone beforehand was amazing. Yellowstone is a beautiful place and riding so close to grazing buffalo was defintely intimidating. Just the whole trip. In eighteen days, I saw Yellowstone, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and tons of awesome and cool stuff.

What rallies or events do you like to attend?
Always enjoyed Outer Banks Bike Week and Delmarva Bike Week. Must be my love for the beach!

Is there someone who rides "two-up" with you?
Have never ridden anyone on the back and wouldn't do it. Just not in my comfort zone.

Off the cuff from...Cookie
I will always be grateful I got into riding for one huge reason. I have met some of the most important people in my life through riding and through the SCRC. People who are like sisters to me and their hubbies who are like brothers-in-law (you know who you are, if you are reading this). We have been in Florida for just over a month now (at the time I am writing this) and I do not regret this move. I look forward to this chapter of mine and Carl's life after his retirement. But I miss those sisters from another mother very very much, more than I can express. I know, though, that our relationships will last across the miles.